Upon hearing this, not only Lin Wuji and the Golden Masked Woman, but even Ye Cangfeng, Shen Cizhou, and the other Great Qin cultivators changed their expressions, their gazes towards Ning Fa instantly shifting.
Ning Fa himself was deeply shaken.
Could this "Senior Tianyi" mentioned by Lu Caifu be that mysterious Hermit Tianyi?
It seemed so.
This meant that Hermit Tianyi was not a Nascent Soul cultivator, but actually a Spirit Transformation cultivator.
This left Ning Fa utterly speechless with surprise.
After all, when he first met Hermit Tianyi, he was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Thinking of this, a cold sweat broke out on Ning Fa's back.
Although Hermit Tianyi seemed to have no ill intentions towards him, it still filled him with a sense of lingering fear.
Furthermore, from Lu Caifu's words, it seemed Hermit Tianyi had already mentioned him in the Great Qin Cultivation World. Judging by the apprehension of others, what Hermit Tianyi had said was likely not trivial.
This made Ning Fa curious, but also feel a hint of unease.
After all, Hermit Tianyi was not only a Spirit Transformation cultivator but also skilled in divination. Such a person's favor might not necessarily be a good thing.
"Fellow Daoist Ning, I will discuss Senior Tianyi with you in detail later,"
Lu Caifu's sound transmission reached Ning Fa's ears.
When Ning Fa looked at her, she gave him a mysterious smile.
At this moment, Lin Wuji and the Golden Masked Woman glared fiercely at Ning Fa but still reined in their auras.
Ning Fa cupped his hands towards Ye Cangfeng and Shen Cizhou, expressing his gratitude.
Ye Cangfeng took a careful look at Ning Fa, then said with regret, "I can feel that Fellow Daoist Ning's strength is immense. In fact, I have a feeling that even if I go all out, I might not be able to defeat you, which makes me eager to spar with you.
However, you are only at the Mid Nascent Soul stage. Even if I win, it would be an unfair victory.
So, I'd like to make an agreement with you. When you advance to the late stage, we can have a fair spar. What do you say?"
Ning Fa replied with a smile, "I couldn't ask for anything more."
Shen Cizhou, on the other hand, smiled kindly at Ning Fa and didn't say much.
Although Ning Fa's expression remained calm, he had already paid close attention to, and even felt a sense of caution towards, this person.
During their brief introduction, he had learned their identities. He hadn't expected Shen Cizhou to be from the Great Qin's Brilliant Moon Palace.
His connection with the Brilliant Moon Palace was quite profound.
The powerful Divine Soul Cultivation Method he practiced, the Moon God Art, was the sect's foundational technique.
Later, in the Nine Dragons Sea, Ning Fa learned about the mastermind who had planned and even overthrown the Zi Yin Immortal Dynasty – the Fu Ling Hall Master from ten thousand years ago, Yan Yuan Daoist.
Finally, he had a fierce battle with the Brilliant Moon Palace's Spirit Transformation ancestor, the Moon Chasing Immortal, over the Primordial Realm Pearl.
In the end, Yan Yuan Daoist was severely injured and had to alter his original plan, resorting to the extremely perilous technique of reincarnation.
And now, he had met this talented individual from the Great Qin's Brilliant Moon Palace main sect. This made Ning Fa wonder if this person already knew that he also cultivated the Moon God Art.
This wasn't Ning Fa being overly worried, as the Brilliant Moon Palace clearly had a branch sect in Cangyuan, and Ye Ji was still alive.
However, Shen Cizhou hadn't sought out branch sect disciples like Lin Wuji and Cang He.
Perhaps he had already contacted Ye Ji and other descendants of the Brilliant Moon Palace through secret means, and Ye Ji knew that he also cultivated the Moon God Art.
Various thoughts flashed through Ning Fa's mind.
At this moment, Xuan Weizi smiled at everyone, "Fellow Daoists from Great Qin, welcome. Please come into the city, and let Cangyuan host a welcoming feast for you."
Following this, everyone flew towards the city.
That afternoon, in the central grand hall of Zhenyou City, the high-level cultivators of Cangyuan held a welcoming banquet for the reinforcing cultivators from Great Qin.
Although many of these reinforcing Great Qin cultivators had arrogant attitudes, and their words revealed a disdain for Cangyuan, a remote place, the Cangyuan cultivators attending the banquet were at least at the Nascent Soul level, so they didn't go too far.
With Xuan Weizi and others livening up the atmosphere, the banquet was a joyous occasion, and even a small exchange fair began.
After all, although Cangyuan was considered a remote cultivation world by Great Qin, it possessed some special cultivation resources that were unavailable in Great Qin.
Meanwhile, the identities of these reinforcing Great Qin cultivators became known to the high-level cultivators of Cangyuan, which also shocked the Nascent Soul cultivators of Cangyuan.
The sects these Great Qin cultivators hailed from were all extraordinary, being exclusively Spirit Transformation sects!
Such as Wushi Demonic Palace, Taiqing Sect, Yuan Cha Gate, Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, Brilliant Moon Palace, Zi Chen Hall, and the most powerful Qianyuan Merchant Alliance.
Seven Spirit Transformation forces arriving at once was enough to explain why the people of Cangyuan were so shaken.
Although they had vaguely known from some ancient texts that the Great Qin Cultivation World was very powerful, it was only now that they had a tangible understanding of Great Qin's might.
There were as many as ten Spirit Transformation forces!
Some of the top-tier Spirit Transformation forces, like the Qianyuan Merchant Alliance, even had more than one or two Spirit Transformation cultivators.
Just thinking about it sent shivers down their spines.
It was no wonder these reinforcing Great Qin cultivators carried such arrogant attitudes. Although they were all Nascent Soul cultivators, they looked at the Cangyuan cultivators as if they were country bumpkins.
The Nascent Soul elders from Great Qin's Spirit Transformation sects casually produced some spiritual materials at the exchange meet, which left many Nascent Soul cultivators from Cangyuan in awe.
Ning Fa, seated in a corner of the banquet, wasn't too surprised.
He was already aware of the situation with Great Qin's top powers before this. After all, when he was the Hall Master of Fu Ling Hall, he had perused many ancient texts preserved there, which included information about Great Qin.
In addition to that, his conversations with Hermit Wuxin, Baili Ming, and others had supplemented this information.
"Goodness, what exactly is in the Abyssal Heavenly Pool that has so many of Great Qin's Spirit Transformation sects sending people, and even three Spirit Transformation cultivators have arrived? This is truly remarkable."
Baili Ming's exclamation echoed in Ning Fa's Sea of Consciousness. Even though Venerable Ling Jun was present earlier, even the bold Baili Ming hadn't dared to interact much with Ning Fa.
"Kid, your situation is quite dire. From what I know, the Wushi Demonic Palace and Yuan Cha Gate are top demonic forces in the Great Qin Cultivation World. These demonic sects are notorious for holding grudges, and if you've offended them, this matter likely won't be easily resolved. But what about this 'Senior Tianyi' that the impossibly beautiful Lu Caifu mentioned? Do you have a Spirit Transformation cultivator as your backer?"
Baili Ming asked curiously.
Just as Ning Fa was about to reply, a fragrant breeze wafted over. Lu Caifu gracefully approached him and took a seat beside him with utmost elegance. With a delicate wave of her hand, a point of spiritual light transformed into a white spirit flower, flying above their heads. As it spun, it projected a spiritual power light shield, enveloping the two of them.
The woman's bright eyes scanned Ning Fa, and she asked with a light smile, "Fellow Daoist Ning, do you know what Senior Tianyi said about you earlier?"
Ning Fa's eyes flickered. "I was just about to ask you about that, Fellow Daoist. I met Senior Tianyi when my cultivation was still meager. I always thought he was a Nascent Soul senior, but I never expected him to be a Spirit Transformation cultivator. It truly honors me. May I ask where Senior Tianyi originates from?"
Lu Caifu said leisurely, "Senior Tianyi originates from Great Qin's most mysterious power – Tianhong Hall. He is also the only Fifth-Rank Diviner in Great Qin in over ten thousand years, which is why he holds such a prestigious position. Before this, a clone of Senior Tianyi visited your Cangyuan, and it was likely then that you met Fellow Daoist Ning. Before we departed, Senior Tianyi mentioned that he had a friend of a different generation in Cangyuan. As our Qianyuan Merchant Alliance has a somewhat closer relationship with Senior Tianyi, I was able to learn that the friend of a different generation Senior Tianyi spoke of is actually you, Fellow Daoist Ning."
Ning Fa was inwardly shaken upon hearing this. Tianhong Hall, a Fifth-Rank Diviner... He never expected the unkempt, seemingly slovenly Daoist Hermit Tianyi to have such a grand background. And his special attention towards him, was it truly because he took a liking to him? But Ning Fa felt something was amiss. After all, this was a Spirit Transformation cultivator, a Fifth-Rank Diviner; every action of such a person must have a deeper meaning.
At this moment, Lu Caifu smiled and continued, "Fellow Daoist Ning, are you perhaps curious why Great Qin is taking this so seriously this time, with so many Nascent Soul elders from Spirit Transformation sects making an appearance, and even someone like Lord Ling Jun, a Spirit Transformation cultivator, personally attending?"
Ning Fa nodded. "I am indeed very curious. Please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist Lu."
"Because not long after your Cangyuan envoy arrived in Great Qin, Senior Tianyi divined a very special hexagram. The hexagram indicated that there is a very special opportunity within the Abyssal Heavenly Pool. This special opportunity is not simply related to advancing to Spirit Transformation, but it might even hold the secret to the Human Realm. With your current strength and status, Fellow Daoist Ning, you should already know that our Human Realm's path to ascension is severed. For hundreds of thousands of years, countless astonishingly talented Spirit Transformation cultivators have only been able to die trapped in the Human Realm. However, the Abyssal Heavenly Pool might hold the secret to unlocking this predicament, perhaps even a method to break it. Therefore, once Senior Tianyi's hexagram was revealed, these Great Qin Spirit Transformation powers took it so seriously. In fact, if Senior Tianyi hadn't explicitly stated that Spirit Transformation cultivators could not enter the Abyssal Heavenly Pool, the Spirit Transformation cultivators who came this time might not have been limited to just Lord Ling Jun."
Upon hearing this, Ning Fa's pupils contracted, and a tempest raged within his heart. He never imagined there was such a reason; the Abyssal Heavenly Pool actually held a secret that could break the Human Realm's ascension predicament. Ning Fa knew even more inside information. After he took office as the Hall Master of Fu Ling Hall, he had obtained a letter left by Ancestor Juelei from Hermit Wuxin, which contained secrets about their Human Realm. The reason why their Human Realm's path to ascension from the Spirit Realm was severed was actually because, over a million years ago, a mysterious race from the Spirit Realm had escaped to their Human Realm carrying a Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure. Later, they used this Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure to directly sever the connection between the Human Realm and the Spirit Realm. This was why, for so many years, Human Realm cultivators had been unable to ascend to the upper realm through normal means.